Improvement in table-hinges



l. W. PALM EB.

Table Hinges. v N0.140 ,94,7; Patentedluly15,1873.

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PATENT FFIcE.

JAMES w. PALMER, OF PANA, ,ILLiNoIs.

IMPROVEMENT IN TABLE-HINGYES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,947, dated July 15, 1873 application filed June 2, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. PALMER, of Pana, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Leaf-Supporting Hinge for Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a bottom plan view of a table with my improved hinge applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, representing the end of the hinge shown in the upper portion of Fig. l and Fig. 3 is a perspective view, representing the hinge when unlocked.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

The object of this invention is to provide for public use a combined hinge and lock that, when the leaf is raised, will automatically lock and support the leaf in a horizontal position, thus dispensing with adjustable arms.

and other supports for table-leaves. To this end the invention consists, first, in a peculiar construction of the hinge to enable it to properly support the leaf; and, secondly, in the combination of the lockin g apparatus with the hinge, substantially as I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A is the body of the table, and B is the table-leaf jointed thereto along the line a b. (J O are the hinges, each consisting of one leaf, 0, of the ordinary form, and one leaf, c, greatly elongated, so that the joint h of the hinge can be placed at a distance from the edge of the part A, leaving the stout elongated leaf or arm 0 to extend across the joint a b to a distance from the edge of the table-leaf, in order to give sufficient leverage to the locking and supporting apparatus. Upon the elongated leaf 0', near the pivot of the hinge, I secure a plate or block, 01, so constructed as to have a slot or recess, 6, under its outer edge.

The block may form a part of the leaf 0 instead of being fastened to it, and it may be made in any suitable form.

To the under side of the leaves 0 c, at a suitable distance from the edge of the table-. leaf, I fasten two strong plates, m m, which are pivoted at I; n, so that their inner ends will extend into the slots or recesses c c and be capable of lateral movement therein. The outer ends of the plates at are connected together by a rod, 0', and a spring, 8, is provided, which presses with considerable force against the rod in a direction toward the head or knob k. Hooks or catches a n with beveled heads are attached to the table at the side of the leaves 0, and are arranged in such manner that, when the table-leaf is raised, the plates m we will not only engage at their ends in the slot or recess under"the projecting blocks d, but will also engage along their sides under the catches a, as shown in Figs. 1, 2. A

When the table-leaf is lowered, the plates m will be held in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the force of the spring 8; but as the leaf is raised the edge of the plate m comes in contact with the inclined edge of the catch 00,, i and the pivoted plates are thereby moved back till they pass the shoulder of the hooks, when they are thrown under said shoulders at once by the force of the spring 8, and the table-leaf is locked in a horizontal position.

. To unlock it it is only necessary to press upon the knob is sufficiently to overcome the force of the spring, and release the plates or arms m on from the detents a n.

, Suitable stops should be provided to limit the movement of the pivoted plates m under the operation of the spring when the tableleaf is not raised.

It will be observed that the table-leaf is held up by the combined force of the arms 0 c m m, all of which extend across the joint a b.

The lock is effected by the catch a, which engages over the double plates 0 m, and se curely holds them.

The recesses or slots 0 are merely guides to hold the arms m in the proper position; and any kind of slotted plate, or even a strap encompassing the arm m and holding it properly in position, would answer the purpose, even if applied to the table-leaf instead of at the other end of said arm, as shown. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new islatch and a detent or keeper adapted to engage With the spring-latch automatically and hold the table-leaf in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

JAMES W. PALMER. Witnesses:

SALEM DIOKEY, D. M. WHITE. 

